December Tornado Leaves Damage, Power Loss
Damage is shown from drone footage of the tornado that occurred in Henderson County on Friday, December 10, 2021.
Photo Submitted by Burt Staggs
Article by W. Clay Crook-
Severe thunderstorm warnings for West Tennessee and Henderson County were issued early on Friday evening, December 10, 2021, but were turned into a Tornado Watch by 10:45 p.m., and then shortly afterwards into a tornado warning. A line of tornado producing storms reached from the southern portions of Henderson County all the way north into Kentucky and Illinois, leaving behind destruction, injuries, and power outages here, and death and massive desolation north of us.
The Henderson County Sheriff’s Department, Henderson County Fire Department, Lexington Police Department, and Lexington Fire Department immediately started making road and neighborhood checks to survey for damage and road blockages, as Henderson County 9-1-1 fielded a high volume of emergency calls. The hard working crews of the Lexington Electric System were already out and deployed before the wind and rain even stopped, accessing damage and making emergency repairs where they could.
It was estimated that half of the LES coverage area was out of power, with power outages nearly covering the entire county at some point. Some portions in the western part of the county were less effected, with heavy tree damage, but some homes retaining power.
TVA encountered widespread damage to several lines, including those feeding Lexington and Henderson County. Major LES substations were also damaged, along with some of the family owned businesses in the Timberlake Industrial Park, and houses just east of there along the Timberlake – Wildersville Road, where houses were destroyed, and Henderson County EMS responded to take care of injuries. There was massive tree damage in Natchez Trace Park and all along the eastern portions of Henderson County.
At 12:45 p.m. on Saturday, December 12th, Lexington Electric System posted that, “At the moment LES has all substations in Lexington online with load. Everything appears normal and crews are concentrating in the Timberlake, Huron (Hwy. 200), and Natchez Trace areas restoring service. We also have crews working in the…
For complete coverage, see the December 15th edition of The Lexington Progress.
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